"Climate Smart Agriculture as a Path Towards Resilient Agro-ecosystem"
Speaker : Sudip Mitra
Head and Professor, School of Agro & Rural Technology IIT Guwahati
@ : sudipmitra@iitg.ac.in
Chairperson : Sanjay Srivastav
S Radhakrishnan Chair Professor, NIAS
@ :sanjay.srivastava@nias.res.in
Date : 12th June, 2026
Time : 10.30 AM
Venue : Lecture Hall
Abstract: The agricultural sector's importance to the economy is significant, as it contributes to food and nutritional security. However, agrarian activities contribute approximately 30% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, ultimately leading to climate change. Rice is a staple crop cultivated in approximately 165 million ha of land globally, with over 90% coming from the Asian subcontinent. The flooded rice fields provide an environment for the emission of two significant GHGs: methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). They act as a source of CH4 and N2O, depending on soil organic matter, irrigation practices, water management practices, soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, as well as climatic variables. CH4 is produced under anaerobic conditions by methanogenesis, while N2O emissions are enhanced during intermittent flooding and drainage by the nitrification and denitrification process. These emissions pose a significant obstacle that must be addressed to mitigate climate change in the current era. The primary concern in the global agricultural sector is to achieve high-yield, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly production. Therefore, we must enhance and modify our farming techniques and strategies with the main goal of maximizing yield while simultaneously reducing emissions. Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is one such approach that transforms and reorients agricultural systems to support food security under the realities of climate change.
About the speaker: Prof. Sudip Mitra is currently the Head and Professor at the School of Agro and Rural Technology and the founding head of the Centre for Disaster Management & Research at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, Assam, India. He is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences India (NASI), 2024. A Nehru-Fulbright Fellow and Visiting Professor at the Keio University, Japan. He is a faculty member in the International Joint Masters and Ph.D. programs in Food Science and Technology for the Gifu University, Japan and IIT Guwahati. His research focuses on climate smart agriculture and the application of indigenous resources and technologies to improve soil quality and enhance agricultural productivity. He has guided 11 PhDs, and 08 more are currently working under his supervision. Serves as an Editorial Board member of PLOS Climate Journal. Edited three books published by Springer and published more than 70 papers in peer reviewed journals (mostly Q1) and reports of international repute. Served as a task force member of the Ministry of Rural Development, DST- TIFAC on Climate Change and Agriculture. He conducted many Nationally and Internationally funded research projects like JICA, UNEP, GEF, World Bank etc.